MASONTOWN, W.Va. A fire at the old Masontown School did little damage Wednesday afternoon, but the availability of water to fight the blaze was a concern.
In a post on social media, members of the Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department said the water system was down for maintenance at the time of the fire, so tanker support was requested. Volunteers from Masontown were able to quickly knock the fire down before tankers arrived.
A Congressionally Directed Spending Grant of $646,000 approved last month from the office of Shelley Moore Capito will hopefully fix that problem.
The project will construct the Masontown waterline extension and the Masontown Interconnection project. Currently, Masontown is served by the Morgantown Utility Board, and this project will add a secondary water source. The line size will also be upgraded from 4-inches to 6-inches, and several new hydrants will be added.
In addition to the federal grant, the project will be funded with funds from the West Virginia Infrastructure Jobs Development Council grant and American Rescue Plan Act funds, and the 20-percent match for the federal funds will be covered by the Office of Governor Jim Justice.
The project could go out for bid later this summer and be completed by early 2025.
The currently vacant former Masontown School building was built in 1918 and has served as West Preston High School and Valley High School over the years.